My little train conductor

This is the first halloween Jackson has actually participated. He still wasn't real sure what it was all about. It was funny...instead of saying "trick or treat", he would say "ding-dong" in reference to the door bells we were ringing. He may not have understood what trick or treating was all about, but he sure knew he was getting a truck load of candy!

on a roll!

So, we still have our house up for sale. Anyone know of anyone who wants a cute 3 bedroom, 2 bath home with an extra bonus room? If so, I've got one for sale! We've had a few lookers, but no takers yet.

In the meantime, Richard and I have an appointment with builders tomorrow and dirt work people that afternoon to look at the property we want to build on. Of course, all of this is contingent on us selling our house first!

It's a done deal!

We will be moving! Richard was offered the Chief Student Officer job at ATU-Ozark Campus earlier today. We knew it was coming, but needed an actual offer before we wanted to spill the beans.

So, what's next? Oh man, getting the house up for sell, finding some land to build our dream home on, finding a rent house to live in the meantime. Exciting and scary and fun all at the same time!

a pinched nerve, maybe?

ok, who has ever had a pinched nerve? what does it feel like? I woke up last Tuesday morning with my neck and shoulders KILLING me! It was like I had slept wrong and had a crick in my neck. Except it never went away and only got worse. Then, Friday it started going away on one side. Great I thought. Nope...it went over to the other side! What the heck? So, I have an appointment today to see what's wrong. It's not so bad this morning, but if I move it just right, OUCH!

a recent picture

Here is a recent picture of little Jackson doing what he does best at football games. He was so into the game.....clapping along with the band, calling the hogs. He loves football and the Razorbacks. Hmmm, wonder where he gets that from?

You say it's your birthday!

Today is my birthday! My 29th...and I've decided that I'm staying here so next year I'll be skipping my birthday, thank you very much! That is allowable, isn't it? =)

Next year is going to be SO hard on me cause I really, REALLY don't want to be 30..UGH. Just the sound of it. 30. It sounds so, so, boring.

Doing a bunch of nothing today. Went to work this morning and took off a little early. Cleaning up around the house, doing some laundry. Maybe go out to get a bite to eat tonight so I wont have to dirty up the kitchen again.

hiya folks!

WOW...It's been about 6 months or so since I've blogged. Bad, horrible, I know. Things have been way more than hectic lately. Let's see...

Jackson went to his very first Razorback football game a couple weeks ago. We scored 50 yard line, first row seats and he LOVED it! He clapped with the band, called the hogs and all that good stuff. That little boy sure is growing. He does something new every single day, I swear.

Like the other night, we went to the AR-OK fair, and he saw all the animals and so now we'll ask him how the dog goes, or how the pig goes, and he does the sound. So cute. I didn't even know he paid that much attention. He cracks me up some days. Like last night, he tried to put on his daddy's shoes, but had to do so ON TOP of the coffee table. He is fearless. Anyone want to bet as to how soon we'll be going to the ER for a broken bone?

Work has been very busy lately. We had a fellow archeolgist die unexpectantly back in May and I've been covering his stuff too until a replacement can come in. I've been on several trips for work. The most recent being to Washington D.C. I love that town. Just to visit though...not to work or live for very long at a time.Richard was able to get off work and go with me on that trip, so we had fun.

Hmmm, what else is new? Richard has an interview today for a new job. If he gets it, we'll be moving to around the Ozark area somewhere. Not too far away really.

That's it for now. I'll try to do better with the entries and I really need to add some new pictures too, huh?

Nice to "see" you again...

Yes, I know, I know...it's been forever and a day since I've blogged. I don't really know why. The day gets away from me and before I know it, its time to get to bed and do it all over again the next day.

So, what have I been up to since the last blog entry? Well, where do I begin?

I've been very, very busy with work and its only going to get more busy. I spent a week working with the wildfire efforts when they had such bad fires in Oklahoma, Texas area. Then, back to the office to work on project work there.

We're getting new landscaping done around the house this spring, which I'm super excited about. My grandma didn't get to have her hip replacement surgery. They found out she has a bad heart murmur, so now they have to do tests to see if she can even withstand a hip surgery. If she can't, I guess she'll be out of luck..poor woman.

March is gonna be BUSY! Work with the fire efforts throughout the US first part of March, then off to oklahoma for a conference, then back home for a day or so, then Richard and I are headed to Washington DC for another conference I have. He'll get to roam the town while I'm stuck doing "conference things", whatever that might be.

Something new Richard and I are doing is we're trading off babysitting with a couple friends, so we can have a date night at least once a month. All of you with kids, remember when you actually got to have a date with your husband? well, it's been too long for Richard and I, so that changed beginning of this year. Each month, we take turns planning our date. january was mine, so we went on an bald eagle watch on Beaver Lake. We saw 6-7 eagles that day and got within a couple hundred feet of two of them. Neat to see...February is his date night. wonder what he has planned? He has given no hints as of yet.

Other than that, we're moving on....jackson will be 9 months old the 13th of this month. That's just in a few days actually. It'll be time to plan his first b-day before I know it. Actually, I've already kinda thought about it, but no definite plans yet.

Enough for now. Take care!

Jackson's first snow

We've already been out in the snow this morning and he LOVED it!

deck the halls

Jackson was all into helping us decorate for the holidays. Well.....sort of.

a trip to the ER

So, I told you all about our trips to the houses of Richard's side of the family for thanksgiving. Well, we get back home Friday night and at about 10 pm richard gets sick as a dog to his stomach...vomiting and the whole 9 yards. He does this all night long till he's just so dehydrated he can hardly move. Well, as many of you know he's a type I diabetic so if he would have had a blood sugar low and couldn't keep any food down, that would have spelled disaster. So, off to the ER we go. Yes, dehydrated I'd say. They pumped him full of 3 bags of IV's and gave him some medicine for his nausea that didn't work. Finally, they gave him another kind that of medicine they give chemo patients and that did the trick. All the while, I was hoping and praying that Jackson didn't get whatever this was. Turned out to be a bad, bad gastro intenstinal virus. Yuck!

the holiday season!

OK, I know it's been awhile since I've updated, but here I go. Hope everyone had a great thanksgiving! We did, but man, we were busy. Went to Little Rock to spend the day with Richard's mom, then spent the night there. Got up that next morning and went to his dad's house to spend another day of eating and visting with that side of the family and of course, I can't forget watching the AR/LSU game, which was played closer than I ever dreamed, actually.

It's hard travelling with a young one, you know? They seem to get out of their element so easily. But I have to remember, he's only little once and he's the first grandbaby on both sides, so we'll do what we have to do.

a sad day...

My grandmother's last sister died yesterday. She was 96 years young, 97 next month. Talk about a great, long life! There must just be wonderful longevity genes on that side of the family. All of the women on that side have lived to grow old, at least to 90 something.

A great, long life I'd say! She was born a couple months premature and had no fingernails, toe nails, eyebrows and lashes when she was born. Her family put her in a shoe box behind the wood stove...their incubator of sorts 100 years or so ago. It's amazing she even lived. Then, 96 years later...you get the picture.

She was fine up until about 2 months ago, then she went downhill fast. So, tomorrow will be a funeral. I just hope it doesn't rain. I hate funerals in the rain. Well, I don't particiularly like funerals anyway, but especially if it rains.

flat tires...

Ever just have a run of bad luck? That's me in the world of vehicle tires lately. I haven't had a flat tire in years....literally years. Then, all of a sudden I have 2 in a row and on different vehicles I might add.

First one, I'm driving down the dirt road and bam...flat tire. Must have been a rock sticking up cause I didn't pick up a nail or anything.

Second one, right smack dab in the middle of Ft. Smith on Rogers Ave. on a Saturday. You all who drive in Ft. Smith know how lovely that must have been for me. Broken valve stem on this one and they are new tires. Well, I say new, but only a month or so old.

Anyway, here's to hoping that this streak of bad luck doesn't come in "3's"

6 months...WHA?

My little boy was 6 months old yesterday. Yes, 6 months come and gone. I mean really, where does it go? I've always heard that time flies once you have kids and they weren't lying! Just this time last year I was thinking I would be pregnant forever and now I have a beautiful little face to look at every morning. He's so special. Can you tell I'm a mom in love with her little boy. He's the best thing EVER!

It's that time of year...

Can you believe it's almost CHRISTMAS? I've always been one to get on the ball with the shopping and this year is no different. I was out all day today and shopped till I dropped, but got most all of it done. Now, I need to go back and regroup and see who all else I have to buy for. I'm sure there will be some I'm forgetting....it always happens. Christmas time will be here before you know it!

Pig Sooooie!

We took Jackson to his first real Razorback game this last Friday night. It was lots of fun (more so for us than him, I think.) He was pretty amazed and was incredible all throughout the game. We didn't hear a single peep from him. Then towards the end, he started getting tired and a little cranky. Understandable though, cause it was a couple hours past his normal bedtime. So, now we can say he's an official Razorback fan!

will it ever end?

now, I'm sick. I got home Friday night and thought I was just going to die. Couldn't breath well at all. Richard ended up staying home from the Razorback football game that day to take care of us. So sweet of him, I know.
Anyway, I went to the walk in clinic on sat. and was diagnoised with walking pneumonia (sp)? It's bad, really bad. But I'm at least starting to feel a little better. I just hope Jackson doesn't get it again. This is the first time in about 4 years that Ive been sick. I forgot what it feels like to be sick. Don't think I like it one bit...

a sick little boy

so, here we go again with a sick little fella. We initially contributed his grouchiness to teething, but then second guessed it when he puked all over everything. Guess, it was a little more than teething. He's sick again...this time with an ear infection plus a virus. He's getting over it though and is home with his dad today.

a late report on halloween

we had a great halloween this year, saying as little Jackson was sick for his first halloween. We had our annual halloween costume party with our friends and that was fun as always. This year, we went as pirates (even Richard and I dressed up.) I'll have to see if I can post a picture on here.